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Neighbors gather for Piedmont’s annual Arbor Day event held at the Ramona/Ronada Triangle in Piedmont on April 10, 2014. This year’s event, set for April 6, will be held at the Wyngaard Avenue neighborhood at Estates Drive. (Dan Honda/Staff archives)

PIEDMONT — The creation of a new urban forest will be celebrated by the city for this year’s Arbor Day celebration.

The public is invited to the Wyngaard neighborhood at Estates Drive to hear guest speakers, visit informational booths and enjoy wine courtesy of Anian Tunney and the Grubb Company, and refreshments.

“(Wyngaard) is a lovely street with a wide planter strip so no sidewalk work is necessary,” said Piedmont Parks and Project Manager Nancy Kent. “We want to showcase the work the city has done there, and we are excited about it.”

Maintenance supervisor Dave Frankel determined that 10 Hawthorn trees on the street were rotting and in bad shape.
“One was so rotten a hard push and it was down,” Frankel said.

Frankel polled the neighborhood, going door to door to discuss with neighbors on the small street about replacing the city trees and received their support. Frankel and his crew planted 22 new Chinese Pistache trees, a deciduous ornamental tree that provides vibrant fall color. The 24-inch box trees are staked to provide stability and protection their first year, Kent said.

Neighbors were given “gator” bags and instructions on how to water the new trees.

Special guest speaker Marguerite Young, EBMUD board representative for Piedmont, will talk abut the best ways to water trees. Experienced arborist Ralph Osterling will speak about the importance of urban forests. And Casey Farmer from the office of state Sen. Nancy Skinner will also speak.

The Piedmont Beautification Foundation, Piedmont Connect, Alameda County Clean Water Program, Republic Services waste haulers and Stopwaste.org all will have informational booths, with handouts and “goody bags.”

Local garden clubs will support and be present including: East Bay Garden Club, Garden Guild of the East Bay, Highlanders Garden Club, Hoe and Hope, Home Gardeners and Piedmont Garden Club.

Music will be provided by Shades of Gray.

Arbor Day was originally planned to take place at the new Linda/Kingston/Rose Triangle, but, said Kent, the project does not have PG&E service yet.

“So we picked a street that Public Works was doing as a reforestation project,” Kent said. “It will have a more uniform canopy and provide a lovely urban forest.”

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IF YOU GO
What: Piedmont’s Arbor Day celebration
When: 5 to 7 p.m. April 6
Where: Wyngaard Avenue at Estates Drive
Details: Public is invited to free event.

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